The Detroit Pistons are fresh off their second-worst regular season performance in franchise history. Thanks to some savvy offseason pickups and a now-recovered Cade Cunningham, the Pistons now have the unique opportunity to raise some eyebrows.
The best part? The bar is 17 wins. (If we can't surpass that then, send the team to Vancouver.) However, in order to avoid a repeat of last year's mistakes, the Pistons must steer clear of these scenarios.
3. Standing back at the trade deadline
For the first time in a long time, Detroit's roster has options and depth, which enables them to make some moves. Considering the fact they've added Joe Harris and Monte Morris, it'd be in the Pistons' best interest to move Bojan Bogdanovic while his value is somewhat high.
Bogdanovic is coming off a career-high year in points and assists. He's 34 and about to enter the ninth season of his career. The trade market has already shown interest in him previously. Ausar Thompson, who Detroit selected with the fifth overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, is 20 and ready to make a major impact.
On the one hand, Bogdanovich is a deep threat and surrounding Cade Cunningham with shooters is obviously exciting. On the other hand, Bojan is a defensive liability, especially when paired next to Ivey. In fact, according to Kumay Kahil, Ivey and Bogdanovich had the second-worst defensive rating of any duo that played over 450 minutes together.
Although Bojan has been a valuable part of the Pistons' rebuilding process, Thompson's youth and potential could outweigh Bogdanovic's veteran experience in the long run.
2. Putting limitations on Ausar Thompson's role
In his first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, Ausar Thompson created for himself and others, clamped Devin Booker in transition, and hit a game-tying 3 in the final seconds to send it into overtime. Though the Pistons lost in overtime, Thompson finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a block. A sign of good things to come for Detroit.
Whether he starts or not, Ausar needs to play major minutes this season. He's a 6-foot-7 wing with tremendous upside on both ends of the floor. Thompson started this past Sunday against the Suns. However, Ausar's potential as a super-sub may be worth looking into. One basketball executive close to the Detroit Pistons told me he expects to see Ausar play, "30-plus minutes a night." and continued saying, "He affects the game in a way that very few players in the entire league can."
If his performance on Sunday is any indication, for the first time in a long time, Pistons fan should be very excited about their recent top-five pick.
1. Injuries
According to Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, "In order for Detroit to eventually take the next step, it needs Cade Cunningham to lay the groundwork by making a big leap toward stardom." Cade Cunningham, the former No. 1 overall pick has to make a leap, and more importantly, land on two feet.
Last season, Cunningham was limited to just 12 games due to undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left leg. That being said, if the Pistons want to trend toward a playoff team, they'll need to stay healthy. The same holds true for all of their young core, not just Cade. Thankfully, Jalen Duren and Cunningham were both selected to play for the USA Select Team. This was, above all else, an opportunity to make up for lost reps against some of the league's elite.
After the duo impressed at scrimmages, Jalen Brunson said, "They're good. They have chemistry, and it's a dangerous duo. Being able to watch them, just from today, there's something exciting going on in Detroit." Pistons GM Troy Weaver talked about Cade's role with the team now that he's healthy. He said, "He is the linchpin of what we're doing, and we're excited that he's healthy and the role he'll play with the team," Weaver said. "When he's healthy, he has a chance to become a big-time player."
All in all, everyone needs to stay healthy, but the Pistons are definitely relying on Cade's health to reach their long-term goals. We saw what happened without Cade last year. In order to avoid a repeat of last season, Cade has to stay on the court.
